December 29, 2008
Bangkok - Thailand and Malaysia will jointly sign a prison transfer agreement enabling prisoners to complete their jail terms in their own country.
Foreign Minister Kasit Pirom was said to visit Malaysia in the middle of January 2009.
Transfer agreement will include death and long-term prison sentences. The pact signing will take place in January.
There are about 2,000 foreign convicts including Thais being held in Malaysia’s prions.
The transfer program is to reduce congestion and costs for both Thailand and Malaysia. There are approximately 402 Malaysians serving prison terms in Thailand.
For example, 29-year-old Dennis Ooi is being held at the Bang Kwang Prison for a drug offence. Bang Kwang Prison is known as “Bangkok Hilton.”
Ooi who serves 50-year jail term claimed life in Thai prison was “too harsh” for him.
